Log raft and means of launching same



G. G. DAVIS Filed Sept. 22. 1922 LOG RAFT AND MEANS OF LAUNCHING SAME /NVE/VT'OR GILBERT Q DAVIS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

GILBERT G. DAVIS, O'F VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

LOG RAFT AND, MEANSOF LAUNCHING SAME.

Application filed September 22, 1922. Serial No. 5819,786.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT G. DAVIS, a resident of the city of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improve.'- ments in Log Rafts and Means of Launching Same, of which the following is` a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in log rafts and apparatus for launching same,

and refers in particular to that class of log f raft set forth in Letters Patent of the `of logs to the raft to forma composite body,

from which logs cannot be dislodged bythe action ofthe seas through which it may be towed. y

A further object is to provide means for constructing the log rafts above high water niark and subsequently launching them.

My invention consists of a method of. binding the tiers ofk logs forming the raft, one tothe other and of a plu'ralityqof cradles f in which the raft may be formed and tracks along which the cradles rand the raftv may be slid into deep water, as willbe more fully described in the following specification.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my raft floating.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of theraftshowing one of the cradles in which it is formed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a raft 'and launching apparatus.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each ligure. Q In these drawings 1 indicates ythe logs forming the floor of the raft, which are flexibly connected together and to the side logs 2 by wire ropes 3 interwoven at intervals apart around the logs. The construction thus far described is setforth in my patent previouslyreferred to.

4, 5, 6 andf7 are successive tiers of logs forming the top load of the raft 4f, 5X, and 6X being the outside logsof their respective tiers. 8 is a pole running,flengthwiseof the raft and is centrally positioned on the top tier of log1s,rwhich pole has circumferential grooves, 9V spaced apart that the binding ropes may be freely passed under the Lpole' and readily tightened thereon by any desired means.

10 'indicayt'esa plurality of ropes which are each secured at vtheir outerfends by clips 11 and which 'are used to bind the several tiers to the sidelog's of the tier below, and to the pole `8 in the following manner.

For the purpose of more clearly showing in Fig. 1 the ycoursethat the ropes follow in bi'ndingreach tier of logs to the raft, the rope binding tier 4 is shown in solid line, the rope bindingtier 5 is shown in open line, r'and thewifope binding tier 6 is shown lightly cross hatched.

Intierl 4 a rope 10 isfpassed under a side log y2 and clipped upon itself as at 11A, if desired the starting end of the rope is left longenough to pass-around the pole Sand fastened thereto, the rope is .then laid over the tier 4 and passed under log 2 of the oppositesidev of raft floor 'and preferably clipped upon itself adjacent such side log, the end ofthe rope at the completion of the raftbeing passed 'under the pole 8 and in one of the grooves 9, it is then ybrought 'over the log, tightened up as desired and` fastened upon itself by the clip 11B.

Tier 5 is securedy in asimilar manner to the sidelogs 4X of tier 4, though thefbinding of 'each tier will commence on the opposite side to that of the previous tier, the

.bindingfrope of 4tier being first clipped as at 11C and after passing around pole 8 finally clipped adjacent thereto by the clip The Ytier GpisA bound to the side logs 5 by a rope 10 which is first clipped at 11E and finally clipped at 11F.

It may be deemed sufficient where heavy seas are not likely toy be encountered, to dispense with the :pole 8 and to clip the ends ofy the binding ropes 10 adjacent each of the side logs that they pass around, yet where eXtra rough towing weather is contemplated, -I may vdesire to add a further ropey 1Q, see Fig. 3, which would be first attached tothe pole 8, passed downwardly between the side log 2 and the raft, then around the side log, then under the door of the raftv andv around the opposite side log,2 in a similar manner and from thence y taken; up, and, around the pole8 and clipped as hereinbefore described.

rlhe apparatus for launching'the raft of.k logs is particularly shown in Figs." 2 and 3,

in which 12 indicates a plurality of tracks lwhich are laid parallel toeach other on the sloping ground and extending into the water,

-each track being preferably formed of one small diameter log 13 and a larger log 14 on either side thereof to form a groove 15. 16Y are skids of substantially similar length to Vthe raft to 'be launched and are laid inthe groove of the tracks 12 for endwise movethe upper-endsof the strut members.

ment therein. 17 indicates in general, Va cradle in which the log raft isformed, 18 being a bolster lsecured transversely to .the skids 16, bythe straps 19, whichbolster is provided with aplurality of notches 20 on `itsupper edgeto receive thebearers 21 and struts 2 4. 21 are bearers on which the log raft is formed the lower and innerends ot' which are scarfed to rest within a pair of Vnotches 20, the lower edges of the bearers being provided with notches 22 to engage 23 arev knee pieces carried upon the bolster 18 and bearers 21 that the raft floor may be formed substantially concave in cross section.V ,24; is

a plurality of struts scarfed at their opposite ends to engage the notches 20 and 22 ofthe bolster and the bearers and to prevent their displacement during the loading ofthe logs upon the cradle 17.

25 is a plurality of short ropes one endy of each of which is suitably secured to the bol-y ster 18 and the opposite end being secured to thefoot of a strut or a Vlbearer member so that on, the collapsing of the cradles subsequent tothe launching of the rat,theV

several structural members of the cradle vcan be withdrawn from the water and the'cradle quickly reassembled for reuse. 26 isa rope attached-to a bolster for withdrawing the launching device from the water.V

' Having thus described the various parts.A

of my invention, I will now briefly explain it'suse. .Y .Y t 's VThe skids`16 and bolsters 18 are vset in a suitable position on the trackv 13 and the several cradlesr assembled, in' the manner Y tothe pull of the rope, collapses the cradles,"

that they may be readily withdrawn from under ythe raft and brought back onto .the

track and reassambled for further loading.

What I claim as my invention is:

n 1. In a log raft, a raft i'loor, logs arranged in tiers carried upon the floor, means for connecting the lowermost tierito the floor and each successive tier individually to the f next underlying tier.

2. In a log raft, a raft oorlogs arranged in'tiers carried upon the floor, a pole extending longitudinally ofthe raft top, a. single means for securing the lowermost tier to the raft floorand to the top pole, and a single means for connecting each successive tier to the next underlying tier and to theV top pole. Y

Y 3. In a' log raft, a raft floor, logs arranged in tiers carried 'upon the oor, a pole extending longitudinally of the raft top and binding means extending ateach side of the rai-'t and secured toithe top pole for holding ythe logs of the lowermost tier together'and kfor securing' the tier as a whole to the raft, -and similar binding means connecting eachV tier individually to an underlying'tier.

4. Ina log raft, a raft floor, logs arranged Iin tiers vcarried upcn the oor, a pole eX tending longitudinally'upon the top of the raft, a Hexible binder extending between eachtier and connected at one endy to one side of the raft and intermediately of its klength to the opposite side of the raft and at its opposite end to the top pole..

5. In a log raft, a raft floor formed with longitudinal side logs, logs arranged in tiers carried upon the floor, a pole extending longitudinally oi therraft top, a flexible binder secured at one end around one side log of the ,raft Hoor and extending over the lower-v Y most tieraround the side' log atV the other j side of the raft floor andl from thence up ,the side of the raft to be secured aroundV the top pole, and kafflexible 'binder extending between Veach pairrof adjacent tiers and connected at one yend to the side logs of each tier and alternately at each side of the raft and at the opposite end extendingalternately 4at each side of the raft and secured to the top pole. v .g Y l 6. A log raft launching apparatuscompris'ing a runway skids slidable'thereon, log bearing devices lexibly connected together and adapted to extend crosswise of the skids and upon which the raft is carried, a pull rope, withdrawa-ble means supporting the bearing devices in their bearing position and adapted to be Withdrawn when strain yis exerted on the pull rope whereby the bearing devices are collapsed.

Dated at VancouvenB; C., this 16th day of August, 1922. l

GILBERT VG. DAVIS. y

Witnesses: s

I-I. B. MARRIAN,` ERNEsrE. Carman. 

